DHAKA: Indonesia said Tuesday a migrant boat crisis was a problem for all of southeast Asia ahead of key regional talks, as Jakarta and other countries came under more pressure to let the boat-people land.

Nearly 3,000 Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants have made it to shore in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia in recent days after a Thai crackdown disrupted people-trafficking and people-smuggling routes, prompting operators of rickety boats to dump their human cargo.

Those who have arrived were either abandoned on the coast or in shallow waters, or rescued from sinking boats, with the three nations sparking outrage by turning away vessels deemed still seaworthy.

Thousands more migrants are believed to be stranded at sea without food or water, and international pressure is growing for Southeast Asian nations to open their ports to the vessels, with the United Nations and the US both calling for swift action, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1756 HRS, MAY 19, 2015
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